The experiment

We will stick to the current policy for the rest of the first half of the season for one good reason - we have to. Transfer window has closed and we have to survive until it opens again.
The writing was on the wall against Carlisle and yesterday’s embarrassment confirmed it. We need time to develop the players we have brought in, to sort wheat from chaff and to find a formula that consistently works. This is not a league to run a nursery in. More embarrassment will follow and probably can’t be avoided with the staff that we have now on the books.
They may/will improve over the coming months and it’s important that we are not down by Christmas, but we have to improve massively to avoid that from happening.
I am worried about the experiment and the spreadsheet, because I am aware that the current owners are not here to pump money into the club. If possible they want to turn a profit and they are businessmen. I am also worried that they have other interests and they are rich enough to walk away if the experiment fails.
We all enjoyed the ride last season and I think the most pessimistic of us could not have predicted the dismantling of a winning side as ruthlessly as it was done. Moving to a higher level required strengthening not weakening the side. Does anyone think that the current squad could emulate the achievements of last season were they to be in division 1?
My final worry is for the coach. He did a brilliant job last year and will go down as one of the best we’ve had even if we were to crash this season. If I were him I would be frustrated that I haven’t been given the tools for the job and I would not want a relegation on my cv. He might just be thinking that the challenge is too great and maybe he has better options.

 

If I were Stendel I’d be asking my agent to find me a job in German football. Any job. He’s been badly let down.

 

I wouldn't blame Stendel if he walks. I hope he doesn't but I think there is a good chance that he will.

Will the board really care if he does? I don't think they will.

 

The owners have been at best naive, at worst stupid. To compete at this level with such a young and inexperienced squad is totally unrealistic. Massive improvement required and the manager will have to keep their heads up in the face of some heavy defeats and increasing unrest among the fans. I don’t envy him...

 

We can all sit here and make excuses.. The owners are neither naive nor stupid... We can dress it up no matter how w look at...the bottom line is It boils down to greed.. Greed for the fast buck.. They had chance last time we were in this league to bring in experience they chose relegation... They would be happy for relegation again.. The policy we've adopted as no place and can't operate in this league in its present form... They skim off all the cream and leave the milk to mature and laugh all the way to their next dividend then what you know... and so the process starts again.. The only ones hurting are the coaching staff who have been hung out to dry and us the fans

 

Absolutely true...

Except for the bit about it being factually inaccurate - the accounts are publicly available and have been discussed in detail. And they support the version of events that the owners put forward.

The fact is we didn't manage to secure our No1 targets and that will have hurt and they'll now be looking at how to tweak the plan to ensure that failure doesn't keep repeating. However the simple truth is that they won't spend a penny that puts us into debt on playing talent. And that's something we should all be thankful for.

 

The HC being easily replaced is part of le grande plan

 

Again factually correct the club have taken out a debt facility with Barclays.

 

Any idea what the trading balance is from our close season activities? Unlikely to be negative I would think.

 

Given that they stated they were going to beat their previous transfer record, then signed 2 fairly cheap players; id imagine there’s a surplus waiting for the January window.

 

Probably. Hope it’s not too late for this season.

 

If we are struggling come Xmas we aren’t going to be an attractive proposition for a player nevermind one that “might” break our transfer record.

 

I like stendel, hes a passionate guy that has embraced barnsley the town and the football club. However, i dont see how he can be lauded one of the greats...... Yet!! We achieved what was expected of us last season, which wasnt without hiccups along the way. The only way id class stendel as one of the greats is if he turns it around in this league with the players he has at his disposal.

 

Without wishing to appear too glum I genuinely feel it is too late for this season. Hopefully lessons will be learned. Hopefully.

 

I’d probably class him above Shankly and Ferguson if he manages to turn it around. But you never know.

 

One of the best we’ve had. Have we had any greats?

 

Allan Clarke mk1. Norman Hunter and Danny mk1 were brilliant managers for our club and gave us memories never to be forgotten.

 

I would too. You leave behind your family, move to a new country and learn a new language to be rewarded by having to cope with being stripped off your assets.

 

He's been rewarded by a job. And learning English will be of benefit I'm sure when applying for other roles further diwn the line. And presumably paid well too. I'm sure he's not so naive as to think players wont go after the money. Im pretty sure he knew Davies and Lindsay were off before we did and Pinnock too as apparently he was offered the captaincy.

Im loving having Daniel here and I am confident that he won't leave the job half done. Yes things haven't gone according to plan perhaps but managers have to contend with losing their best players be it to injury or if they're sold. Its part and parcel of the job.

Niw let's get behind the team we ve got and all fight together to stay up this season. COYR!

 

As some have suggested above my own thoughts are that we have been set up to be a yoyo club, succeed one year, fail the next, and so on.
The plan allows for this, sell when we are low, don't invest when we are high just in case we do too well, i.e stay up.
Profit is to be made from selling the good players before we do too well otherwise we end up unable to afford the higher wages etc associated with being too successful.
The plan realises that we will probably do well in the 3rd division and not so well in the Champ so allows for this regular swap. The fans are immaterial in all of this. The owners can speak mealy mouthed words to keep us happy but at the end of the day their main aim is profit, they are businessmen, and any sentimentality we might think they have for little ole Barnsley is misguided.
They are not sentimental millionaires/billionaires.